Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Nicolaitan Virus


Is It Infecting the Church Today?

"Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate." Those are the words of Jesus in Revelation 2:15 in His letter to the church at Pergamos also called the Compromising Church. In Revelation 2:20 Jesus also writes this to Thyatira, the Corrupt Church, saying "I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess to teach and seduce My servants..."

The word Nicolaitan comes from the Greek words nikan, meaning to conquer and laos, meaning the people (from where we get the words laity or lay people). Simply put, Nicolaitan means to conquer the people!

Jesus was telling the church that He saw the doctrines of the Nicolaitans practiced among its members, and He hates it. The New Testament people referenced in this verse were afflicted by the same spirit as the ones cited in the Old Testament. Nicolaitans were cultic and their doctrines were first mentioned in 1st and 2nd Kings. These OT accounts tell of the people following the teachings of Balaam and Jezebel. To read more, click here.

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